Pride and Arrogance
by fanficmaria
Summary: Lily had never liked James Potter much. He was an arrogant toerag, and so was his friend, Sirius Black. But after their paths crossed enough times, Lily had to admit she was wrong about both of them, especially James. Read to discover what really happened between Lily Evans, her best friend Taylor Davis, Severus Snape, and the Marauders.
1. Introduction

This story begins the weekend before O.W.L.s in the Marauders' fifth year at Hogwarts. It features Lily Evans, the four Marauders, Lily's best friends Taylor Davis and Alice Fortescue, and Severus Snape. At first, nothing much happens between James Potter and Lily Evans, but as Lupin told Harry many years later, they started dating in their seventh year.

But don't worry, dear reader. I won't test your patience by dragging out year six. I'll just tell you the important parts. Besides, seventh year is when it gets really juicy, so stay tuned!

First, though, I'll give you a little introduction about the characters.

Lily Evans has a few very close friends. Taylor Davis, a beautiful girl who plays Seeker on the Gryffindor Quidditch team and is therefore very good friends with Sirius Black and James Potter; Remus Lupin, who is also unfortunately friends with Sirius Black and James Potter; Severus Snape, who no one really approves of; and Alice Fortescue, who has been dating Frank Longbottom since forever.

James Potter lives in a manor with his parents, David and Diane Potter. David Potter is an Auror, while Diane Potter works at the Wizengamot. He once had a younger sister named Sophie, but she died at a very young age when James was in his third year. No one knows this besides Sirius, Remus, and Peter.

Taylor Davis plays Seeker on the Gryffindor Quidditch team and aspires to become a professional Quidditch player after Hogwarts. She is the apple of every male Hogwarts students' eye, but she herself doesn't think twice about them as she is far too busy watching her diet to stay in shape for Quidditch. She's cool, is okay in academics, and is a very good friend to Lily and Alice.

Alice Fortescue is sweet and intelligent, and is often hidden in a broom closet with Frank Longbottom.

The rest of the characters are canon for the most part, so no need for introductions for them.

Enjoy and review! Thanks.


	2. Chapter One

**A/N:** Hey guys, this is my first fanfic, so please don't be harsh! Send me reviews and tell me what you like/don't like. Thanks and enjoy! :)

* * *

Chapter One

"Come on, you can do it. I know you can."

"I've never done it before! And it's supposed to be really complicated magic. Most full-grown wizards can't even do it!"

"But you can."

"Sev, don't be ridiculous. I'm not going to waste my energy trying to produce a Patronus! Besides, it's getting late and I need to start patrolling the corridors. And you need to get back to your common room before I give you detention," said Lily.

Severus laughed. "Yeah, right. It's the weekend before O.W.L.s! Even the professors have relaxed their rules for us."

At the mention of O.W.L.s, Lily's face broke into the nervous and worried expression it always did when she fretted over exams. "I'm really nervous, Sev. What if I fail everything?"

"Says the girl who's top of the class."

"I'm serious! What if I don't get enough O.W.L.S. to get into all the N.E.W.T. classes?!"

Severus laughed again. "What, are you planning on taking every N.E.W.T. class available at Hogwarts?"

"Why not?" asked Lily. "The more the better."

"Well, good luck with that," Severus said.

Lily looked at her watch. "Look, it's really getting late, and I need to find Remus to start our rounds. Good night, Severus."

Lily didn't see it, but at the mention of Remus Lupin's name, Severus's eyes flashed with annoyance. He didn't like the fact that Lily was friends with a werewolf. Not that he would ever tell her about Remus's problem. She would want to know exactly how Severus found out, and he didn't want her to hear _that_ story. Besides, finding out that one of your good friends is a werewolf can't be easy. Severus didn't want to hurt her.

Severus Snape also hated that Lupin happened to be best friends with _James Potter_, the most arrogant student to ever attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was the exact opposite of Severus Snape. Potter was popular, handsome, intelligent, and athletic, while Severus was greasy, laughed at, and came from a broken home.

_At least I have Lily_, Severus thought to himself as he made his way down the dungeons and into the Slytherin Common Room.

* * *

Lily found Remus in the library, doing some quick studying for Transfiguration, their first O.W.L., before prefect duty. "I can't find the spell for turning a bird into a glass!"

"It's _Vera Verto_. I was practicing it this morning. And we learned it in fourth year, not third year," Lily added as she looked at the notes Remus was looking through.

"Seriously, when are we _ever_ going to need to turn a bird into a glass in real life?!"

"We'll need it for our O.W.L.s, which I consider to be part of real life."

Remus just looked at her for a second. "I guess I never thought of it like that."

Lily smiled. "Just looking at things from a different perspective. You ready for our rounds?"

As they left the library, they chatted some more about the upcoming O.W.L.s. Soon, the fear of failing all their exams scared both of them into changing the topic. "So the full moon won't be during O.W.L.s then?" Lily asked, lowering her voice. She had known of Remus's "furry little problem" since she pieced it together in their third year. Remus had begged her not to tell anyone, and Lily had kept it a secret even from Severus.

"Nope. I bet Dumbledore had something to do with the scheduling. The full moon's two days after the trip to Hogsmeade, which means I'll get to go there too!" said Remus happily.

"That's grea – did you hear that?" There was a crash just around the corner, followed by hurried footsteps. "Come on! They're getting away!" Lily shouted.

They began sprinting and saw that someone had knocked down one of the knights standing along the corridor walls. "I'll bet it was Peeves," said Remus, sounding a lot like the caretaker, Filch.

"Maybe we can find him. Let's go," said Lily as she walked further into the hall. When she reached the next knight a few feet away, a tall, toned figure jumped out.

"BOO!" It was James Potter.

Lily jumped, but stood her ground. "Potter! You idiot! Detention!"

James laughed. "Are you really going to give me detention the weekend before exams, Evans?"

Lily ignored the fact that Severus had said the same thing earlier and retorted, "As long as you continue your ridiculous rule breaking, yes I am."

"Well, curfew was approximately thirty seconds ago, and I was on my way back to the Common Room. So if you'll excuse me, I really should go." And with that, James walked away, shooting a grin at Remus, and leaving his detention and a fuming Lily in the corridor.

"Why didn't you say anything?!" Lily turned on Remus.

"Oh, come on Lils. He said he was on his way back to the Common Room!"

"I can't _believe_ you're friends with that bigheaded troll!"

"He's really not that bad, you know," said Remus in defense of his friend.

Lily rolled her eyes in annoyance. "You boys are pathetic. Let's go."

* * *

When Remus entered the dormitory an hour later, he found his friends deep in conversation. Well, James and Sirius were deep in conversation. Peter was snoring like a baby. "Where's Frank?" Remus asked.

"Probably out with Alice, as usual," replied Sirius with a snigger.

"Where do they _go_? Lily and I have _never_ caught them breaking curfew!" said Remus.

"Probably because Evans _does_ know where they go, but doesn't want to give her best friend detention," said James. "She's sneaky, that one," he added fondly.

"That hypocrite! And she was shouting at _me_ for being lenient with you!" exclaimed Remus. "I'll be having a word with our dear Lily. Anyways, what were you talking about?"

"What do you think?" asked Sirius with a smirk.

"I think Prongs was giving a play-by-play of what happened back in that corridor," replied Remus with a knowing smile.

"Of course!" said James with a wide grin. "Did you notice that she didn't look as angry as usual?"

"Well, I was too busy praying for the well-being of my ears considering how loud she was shouting at you."

Sirius roared with laughter, but James continued to pursue the topic. "Did she say anything about me after I left?"

"Aside from calling you an arrogant troll? Nope, nothing at all," said Remus.

James sighed happily as he lay on his bed. "She wants me."

* * *

Lily woke up the next morning with a start. She had had, of course, the usual nightmare where she showed up at her exam late and in only her underwear, failed everything, and was kicked out of not just Hogwarts, but the entire wizarding world. This nightmare always made a recurrence when exams were approaching. Last night, however, a random flash of green light had interrupted her nightmare, leaving her eyes feeling heavy and sensitive even after she woke up.

"Woah, you don't look well," said Alice Fortescue, as she came out of the bathroom. "Come on, get up. You need food."

Alice was one of Lily's best friends. She was tiny, had short brown hair, and was the kindest person Lily had ever met. She was going out with Frank Longbottom, one of the Gryffindor boys in their year. Frank and Alice were the kind of couple that was meant to be from the moment they set eyes on each other. And both of them and known it immediately.

Lily groaned as she stuffed her pillow onto her face. "I don't want to wake up," she complained, her voice muffled by the pillow. She was not a morning person.

"Well, you don't have much of a choice. Up you get," said Alice as she tore the blankets off Lily.

"Why are you so annoying?"

"Well, I see Lily's up," said a voice as the dormitory door opened. The girls' best friend, Taylor Davis, was just returning from an early morning Quidditch practice. Taylor played Seeker, and was the best one Gryffindor had had in fifty years. She was tall and thin, and had long blonde hair that emphasized her ice blue eyes. Taylor was the girl that every boy at Hogwarts chased after. Unfortunately for them, Taylor didn't think twice about a single one of them. She was always too busy watching her diet to keep in shape for Quidditch.

"See?! Even Taylor's back from practice! And Eliza and Rachel left ages ago!" Eliza and Rachel were the other two fifth year Gryffindors who shared the dormitory with Lily, Alice, and Taylor. The two were inseparable.

"Taylor, why'd you have Quidditch practice at this time? O.W.L.s start in two days!" said Lily, who was now awake due to the concern she had for her friend's studies.

"Because James is the world's most dedicated captain," said Taylor, as she rolled her eyes.

As the three girls entered the Great Hall for breakfast, they noticed most of the Gryffindor table watching the Slytherins across the hall. "This can't be good…" Lily said. She and every other Gryffindor knew who was behind whatever it was that was going to happen to the Slytherins.

"Hey, Evans! Over here!" James Potter was motioning for the three girls to sit with the Marauders. Lily scowled at him as she and Taylor walked past them and sat next to Eliza and Rachel instead. Alice had gone to sit with Frank. "Oh, Evans. You wound me," said James. Lily ignored him.

"You should know better than to mess with her in the morning," said Taylor, grinning. James threw a piece of toast at her in response. Lily hated that her best friend was also friends with James Potter and Sirius Black, but she couldn't do much about it seeing as they were all on the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

Suddenly, there was a loud lion roar from the Slytherin end of the Hall. "Ah, so they've finally finished the bacon," said Sirius happily. Lily looked over and saw that in addition to the roar, red and gold streamers were flying out of the now empty bacon tray.

Soon after that, a roar of "GRYFFINDOR IS THE BEST" erupted from the Slytherin table. "And that would be the toast platter," said James.

"POTTER! BLACK!"

"And that would be Filch," said Lily to general laughter.

* * *

**A/N:** Soooo what'd you think? It's only the first chapter, but I hope you liked it. So far I've finished about four chapters, so I'll be posting at regular intervals. Follow and review! I like both compliments and criticism :)


	3. Chapter Two

**A/N:** We all know what happened after the Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L. James performed the _Levicorpus_ charm on Severus, who then called Lily a Mudblood. You can read it in _Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix_, Chapter 28. This happens just after that.

Also, none of these characters are mine. It's the sad, sad truth. They belong to J.K. Rowling, probably the coolest person ever. :D

* * *

Chapter Two

Lily stormed into her dormitory and started pacing. It was what she always did when she was upset. But right now, pacing didn't seem enough. She wanted to rip her hair out. On top of the worries she had about exams, she was now hurt and betrayed by one of her best friends. It didn't help that Potter was the one defending her – admittedly in his own arrogant way.

He had called her a Mudblood. A _Mudblood_. Having grown up with Muggles, Lily never really understood why it was such a big deal. But the five years she had spent in the wizarding world had taught her that it was the lowest and most insulting thing a wizard could say. And it was her _best friend_ that called her one.

"Lily?" There was a tentative knock on the door. It was Alice and Taylor.

"Are you okay?"

So they knew. Which probably meant the whole school knew by now. Lily looked up at them. Their faces were filled with concern. Lily was closer by far to Alice and Taylor than she was with Severus, but her special friendship with Snape meant a lot to her. He was the one who brought her into the wizarding world. Alice and Taylor could never understand it.

"He's absolutely awful," said Taylor as she rushed to hug Lily.

"Yes," nodded Alice. "He's an evil little Slytherin freak."

"An evil little Slytherin freak who doesn't know what shampoo is," added Taylor. That got Lily to crack a smile.

"It's because he - never mind. I don't need to defend him anymore," said Lily sadly.

"Hm, come to think of it, you did defend him a lot," said Alice thoughtfully.

"Yeah. It's because he's a spineless fool who didn't appreciate the only friend he had," said Taylor viciously. "Do you want me to go beat him for you?"

"No thanks. I'm sure Potter already did that," Lily added a little angrily. "Stupid Potter," she added with contempt.

"Why are you mad at James? He was only defending you, Lily," said Alice quietly.

"This whole thing happened because of him! If he hadn't bullied Sev, he would have never called me that!" retorted Lily.

"Lily, I'm going to be blunt with you," began Taylor. "That Snape character is not a good guy. Haven't you seen the kinds of people he hangs out with? All their parents are connected with You-Know-Who!"

"But not Severus! He's a good guy! He's just – "

"'Lonely,' yeah, you've said it a million times. But if he really was lonely, Lils, he would have taken your friendship a hell of a lot more seriously. You need to tell him you're done talking to him," Taylor said with a sense of finality.

"Taylor's right, Lily. You don't need him! We're here for you and we always will be. You and Snape may have been good friends when you were younger, but people change," added Alice.

Lily knew they were both right. It was true that Severus hung out with the crowd that called themselves 'Death Eaters.' Although it always bothered her a little, she had always respected his choice of friends because who was she to tell him who not to talk to?

_But he was my first friend here,_ said a small voice inside her head.

_Your first friend who betrayed you,_ said another voice.

_I can make him a better person,_ said the first voice.

_Do you really believe that? He insulted you in front of all those people. Seems like he doesn't think very highly of you. It doesn't even seem like you're that important to him,_ said the second voice.

At that, Lily broke down crying. "I was_ always_ there for him! Always! And he repaid me by making me a laughing stock!" Lily picked up a pillow and threw it hard at the wall.

Alice looked alarmed. "Lily –" But Lily didn't listen. She started throwing anything and everything that her hands touched. "Lily!" Alice said louder. She stepped forward to stop her, but Taylor shook her head.

"She needs to work this out."

Lily didn't know where her rage was coming from. All she knew was that the second voice's words were ringing in her ears. _It doesn't even seem like you're that important to him. It doesn't even seem like you're that important to him. It doesn't even seem like you're that important to him._

_Of course you were important to him. _The first voice was back.

_Not really. And I _know_ he wasn't important to you._

_Now you're just talking crazy. He was my first friend, he'll always be important to me,_ reasoned the first voice.

_But look at you. You have loads of friends that really do care about you. Taylor, Alice, Remus, Rachel and Eliza, even Frank. All the teachers love you. You're a prefect, and you'll probably be Head Girl. You two don't talk for weeks at a time, and you hardly even notice._

The first voice said nothing, and Lily knew which one was right. She didn't realize it, but she had stopped throwing pillows at the walls. She surveyed the mess. Feathers littered the floor, and she looked at Taylor and Alice sheepishly.

"I'm sorry," she said to them in a small voice.

"Don't be," said Taylor with a huge grin as Alice put an arm around Lily's shoulder. "It was fun to watch."

* * *

"I'm going to kill that little piece of boggart hair!" said James on the morning of the trip to Hogsmeade. He and the Quidditch team had just finished the first practice since O.W.L.s had and were getting ready to head to breakfast.

"Still fuming about Snivellus?" asked Taylor as she appeared from the girls' side of the changing room.

"He hasn't talked about anything else since that day," said Sirius, who, at Taylor's appearance, had started changing really slowly to show off his lean and muscular body to the girl.

"How is she?" asked James of Taylor. "I haven't even seen her since then except during O.W.L.s. She won't even look at me."

"She won't leave our dormitory. I'll carry her down to breakfast today if I have to. I'm worried about her. But James, please, _please_ don't try to confront her. Not yet," said Taylor.

"Why is she mad at _me_?! I was defending her!" exclaimed James.

"She blames you, and honestly, I see where she's coming from," said Taylor. "Not that I agree with her!" She added at James' incredulous glare. "It's just that if you hadn't bullied Snivellus, none of it would have happened."

"She has a point," said Sirius.

"_What_?!"

Sirius shrugged in a way that said _You know it's true_.

"Please James. Promise me you'll give her space," said Taylor seriously.

"Fine," James growled and stalked out of the changing room, shoving past between Taylor and Sirius.

"He really cares about her," said Taylor as they watched him leave. It wasn't a question. It was a statement that she knew was true.

"He does," nodded Sirius.

"Well then. We should do something about it," said Taylor with a smile.

* * *

When Taylor wen up to the dormitory, what she saw surprised her. Lily was up and dressed, ready for the day. "I'm so glad O.W.L.s are done. No more stress!" said the redhead.

"So you'll be joining us for breakfast then?" asked Taylor tentatively.

"Oh yes. Alice should be out of the shower in a second."

"So, you're feeling better now?"

Lily smiled, although it didn't reach her eyes like it usually did. "Don't worry about me, Taylor. I'll be fine."

Alice came out of the bathroom. "Are you sure?" she asked.

"I – I told Sev last night not to speak to me again. I don't think he took it well. But I'm not going to hide from him or from anyone else," said Lily defiantly.

"We won't let him talk to you," said Alice loyally.

The three girls began talking about how their O.W.L.s had gone. Lily of course fretted over every single question while Taylor and Alice rolled their eyes at her. "I think I'll go and review some of the questions with the professors after we get back from Hogsmeade," said Lily.

They had reached the Great Hall. "It won't really help, Lils. They're over!" said Taylor with a sigh of relief.

"Well, I still want to know!" said Lily. They had now reached the Gryffindor table. Lily sat next to Remus to discuss some of the difficult questions in depth – as they always did after any exam. Unfortunately though, the rest of the Marauders were also there, which worried Lily a little. Thankfully though, James didn't say anything to her besides giving her a small smile.

After breakfast, Taylor and Lily went to the gates where fifth years and seventh years were lining up for their special end-of-exams trip to Hogsmeade. By seventh year, most students skipped out on Hogsmeade trips, but as this was just for fifth and seventh years, it would be far less crowded, and the end of exams put everyone into a celebratory mood.

The two girls found a cozy corner in the Three Broomsticks. "So, James was pretty upset this morning," said Taylor.

"You're subtlety astonishes me," said Lily, clearly realizing that her friend was up to something.

"The poor kid's probably going to eat Sniv – Snape alive!" Taylor always made sure to never call Lily's friend the Marauders' choice of nickname in front of her.

"What do you mean?" asked Lily.

"He's worried about you, Lil. You should thank him for sticking up for you in front of Snape and all those people. Or apologize to him for all those things you said to him. Just talk to him."

Lily, whose temper was always bubbling at the surface these days, flared up. "He put you up to this, didn't he?" she accused, rising from her seat.

"No! He's worried about you! You didn't leave the dormitory for six days!"

"So?" said Lily.

"So?! He can't go a day without annoying you or flirting with you!" laughed Taylor. "Come on. For me?"

"Fine. But you have to buy me a butterbeer first."

* * *

That night, most of the Common Room emptied quickly. Fifth and seventh years got to bed early for the first time in weeks, while the rest of the students were preparing for their exams in the quiet solitude of their dormitories. After the last batch of seventh years went up to their dorms, it was just Lily, Taylor, and the Marauders – aside from Peter, who was no doubt asleep in their dormitory – left in the Common Room. Alice and Frank were probably in a broom closet somewhere in the castle.

"Well, I think I'm off to bed," said Remus. "I've got to rest for… Well, I've got to rest." All of them but Taylor knew that his tiredness was because of the full moon approaching.

"I'm just finishing up this letter to my parents. They want to know how every single one of my O.W.L.s went," said James, rolling his eyes.

"Lucky for me, my parents don't even know what O.W.L.s are," said Lily.

"Lucky for me, my parents don't care," said Taylor, as she yawned.

"Lucky for me, _I_ don't care," said Sirius, a smirk on his handsome features.

"Oh hey, Potter, I never thanked you for sticking up for me that day in front of Severus," said Lily, attempting nonchalance.

James blushed a little. "No need. You'd have done the same, right?"

"Right," said Lily in a small voice.

"So we're good?" asked James.

"Sure," said Lily a little cautiously.

"So will you go out with me, Evans?"

"No!"

"Ahh," said James, grabbing his heart. Everyone but Lily laughed.

"Well, I think I'm going to bed too," said Taylor, yawning again. "You coming, Lily?"

"Yeah."

James and Sirius watched the two girls leave for their dormitory. "That was progress, right?" asked James.

"Sure," said Sirius, who was surprised by his own preoccupation with Taylor's swishing blonde hair.

* * *

**A/N: **Aaaaand that was Chapter Two. Tell me how it was! Follow and review. Thanks :D


	4. Chapter Three

**A/N: **Chapter Three is here, folks! As always: Read, follow, and review! Thanks!

Also, none of these characters belong to me (Except maybe Taylor Davis whom I actually really like). They are a figment of J.K. Rowling's spectacular imagination, and she was kind enough to share them with us. So thanks, Ms. Rowling! :)

* * *

Chapter Three

"Are you ready, Moony?" asked James of Remus.

"Yeah, I'm just packing an extra set of clothes in case… you know…"

"In case you eat all the others?" asked Sirius.

"Yeah," mumbled Remus sheepishly.

Peter giggled as he rubbed his hands together. "This is so exciting!" he exclaimed. Peter had finally managed to turn into a rat the previous week. Sirius rolled his eyes and threw a pillow at him.

"This isn't supposed to be _exciting_, Wormtail. It's serious business," Sirius explained. James and Remus raised their eyebrows and Sirius burst out laughing. "Oh, who am I kidding? We're going to have the time of our lives out there tonight!"

"Right, well, we'll be waiting for you downstairs in the Common Room, Moony, alright?" said James, grabbing the Marauder's Map and his Invisibility Cloak.

"You guys shouldn't be risking your lives for me –" Remus began.

"There he goes again," said James, shaking his head.

"Get over yourself, Moony. We're not doing it for you. We're bored and need adventure," said Sirius, clapping a hand on Remus's shoulder.

"What if you get caught?" asked Remus, taking a different approach.

"Since when have we ever cared about that?" asked James.

Seriously, Moons, you've known us for five years, yet you still don't know us?" said Sirius, with a mocking frown on his face.

Remus made to say something, but James interrupted him. "Stop worrying! No one will recognize us. You ready yet?" asked James.

Remus sighed in defeat. "You guys go on down. I'll be there in five," he said.

* * *

Downstairs, James and Sirius were huddled over the Marauders Map, going over their plans as Peter watched them.

"Right, so when Dumbledore and McGonagall come to take Moons, we sneak out the portrait under the cloak exactly two minutes after them," James said.

"They'll probably go straight down, so we'll need to go the long way past that painting of that stupid knight and his fat pony and down the other flight of stairs," continued Sirius.

"And going the long way would delay us an additional three minutes, making us five minutes behind them once we reach the entrance to the castle," calculated James. Peter seemed to be trying to keep up, but he was failing miserably.

"Yes, but the conventional way to the Shrieking Shack takes about twenty minutes from the entrance, while our passage from the Whomping Willow takes seven minutes," added Sirius. "Which means we should get there approximately eight minutes before Moony does. Plenty of time for us to transform."

Remus finally came down with his backpack of supplies. He looked nervous. "It's going to be okay, Moony. We'll get there before you, so we'll be there for you when you wolf out," said Sirius.

Remus cracked a weak smile. "Thanks, but you don't have to –"

"Yes we do. We Marauders have got to stick together, right?" said James as Peter nodded his head vehemently. There was a soft knock on the portrait door – loud enough for someone listening for the noise to hear it, but soft enough to be otherwise missed.

"Right, well that's my cue. See you guys in a bit," Remus said, waving sadly. His friends nodded.

"Okay, that leaves us with exactly two minutes before –"

"Hey, where's Remus going? It's not time for us to start our rounds yet," said Lily. She was making her way over to the boys. James noticed her long red hair was down, which was unusual because she usually had it tied up or in a bun. He liked how it cascaded down her shoulders like a waterfall, shiny and glossy… James shook his head.

"Oh, umm, he's going to the library," Sirius made up quickly.

"I see. Well, I'll go catch up with him. We can start our rounds from there. See ya!" said Lily.

"No wait! Evans!" called James. Lily could _not_ find out where Remus was actually going.

Some kind of comprehension seemed to dawn on Lily's face, which confused James. "Oh, how could I have been so stupid? It's tonight, isn't it?!"

"What is?" asked James quickly.

"The full moon!" she whispered to them. Lily widened her green eyes a little, and even though James was panicking, his stomach couldn't help but flip. Why, oh why did she do this to him?

"I guess. So? What does that have anything to do with anything, huh?" asked Sirius a little too defensively.

Lily rolled her eyes. "I _know_ about Remus, okay? You know that!"

"Know what?" asked James.

"That I know!" said Lily, stamping her foot. Why were they being so dumb?

"_We _don't know that you know something. Wait, what is it that _you_ know?" asked Sirius.

"Well, now I know that you don't know that I know," said Lily, frowning.

"_Know what_?" James and Sirius nearly shouted.

Lily rolled her eyes, then leaned in. "I know that Remus is a werewolf," she whispered.

"Wha – who – how – how do you know that?!" asked Sirius incredulously.

"I figured it out in third year," Lily replied proudly.

"Guys, it's time!" said Peter, speaking for the first time. No doubt he couldn't follow the confusion in the conversation.

"Bloody hell! Hey Lily, we've got to go. Say hey to Taylor for me!" said Sirius. And the three of them ran out the Common Room.

_Something's going on, _Lily thought to herself. She decided she'll probably catch them preparing their end-of-the-year prank during her rounds.

* * *

Forty minutes later, the four boys – animals – were running. They ran through the Forbidden Forest, they ran through the pumpkin patch, and they ran past Hagrid's hut.

Upstairs in Gryffindor Tower, Lily had just finished her rounds and was clearing up the Common Room, shooing straggling first and second years who wanted to stay up late, and picking up random quills and parchments that were left behind. She went over to the table nearest the window and found a folded parchment stuffed behind the couch pillow.

_Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs are proud to present the Maruader's Map_, it read and fancy letters.

She opened it and found a map of the inside of Hogwarts. Tiny dots filled the common rooms, and Lily realized that each dot represented one person. The dots in the common rooms were students! _Well, at least none of them are out of bed_, thought Lily proudly. She saw Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Flitwick pacing in Dumbledore's office. Professor Slughorn was sleeping in his study.

The map was fascinating. She saw her own dot sitting on the edge of the Gryffindor Common Room. She began looking for each of her friends. She saw Severus – with a jolt of sadness and anger – in the Slytherin Common Room in the dungeons. She then saw Taylor, Rachel, Eliza, and Alice's dots sleeping in their dormitory. _If Alice is back, then that must mean that – ah, yes, so is Frank_. But then Lily's eyes froze. The other four beds in that dormitory were empty. She knew one of them was Remus's, but it meant that Potter, Black, and Peter weren't back yet! She hadn't even caught them during her rounds, much to her disappointment.

Suddenly, Lily heard a bark from the dark grounds below. She looked out the window, and the strangest sight met her eyes. In the black darkness she saw three shadows – was it four? She couldn't tell; the fourth was incredibly small. Four shadows were streaking across the pumpkin patch. Lily was alarmed.

It was an odd group. One of them looked like a deer – probably a stag; it had antlers. The other was a big dog or a wolf. The small one was either a kitten or a large mouse or something. The last one was large and oddly shaped – she gasped.

It was a _werewolf_. She had seen pictures of them in her Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook, but had never seen one in real life.

_Remus._

Why was he playing with those animals? Wasn't he supposed to be locked up in the Shrieking Shack? Lily made a note to speak to Dumbledore the next morning about it. It was far too dangerous to have a werewolf running around the castle grounds at night, even if it was her good friend.

Lily went back to poring over the map. She looked at the four names again. _Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs._ The big dog below barked again. _Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs._

Something in Lily's brain clicked.

_No. No, no, no. It was _not_ possible._

But it made sense. Their nicknames… could it be? Moony made sense to Lily, but she had always assumed the rest of their nicknames were just random. But what if they weren't? What if their nicknames were based on what animal they _transformed_ into?

The idea was insane. Animagi were incredibly rare, and the magic was very complicated. It wasn't possible for three fifteen-year-olds to manage it, especially when one of them was lumpy Peter Pettigrew. But the more Lily thought about it, the more sense it seemed to make. Could it be that Potter, Black, and Peter were Animagi? Lily looked back at the grounds again, where the four animals were now racing each other. Aside from the werewolf, the other three seemed tame – almost human. They certainly weren't acting like wild beasts.

_Oh, god,_ Lily thought. It seemed that these Marauders were getting into a lot more mischief than Lily had ever imagined.

* * *

**A/N:** And that's Chapter Three. I don't totally love it, but it's the best I could do. Sorry it was so short. I originally had it more than twice as long, which would have been waaay too long, so I cut it here and made the rest of it Chapter Four, which I shall post tomorrow morning. Anyways, thanks for reading! Please review. Have a fabulous day! :)


	5. Chapter Four

**A/N:** And, here's Chapter Four! Sorry it took so long. I got caught up writing one of the later chapters, and I totally forgot to update! But, here you are. Enjoy and review! Thanks.

Sidenote: These characters aren't mine. They belong to J.K. Rowling and J.K. Rowling only.

* * *

Chapter Four

"I can actually look good at breakfast today!" said Taylor as she surveyed her appearance in the mirror. She adjusted her leather jacket and printed tee, and fixed her hair, which she had tied up. "No school or Quidditch robes!"

"Why didn't you have Quidditch practice this morning? The final match is two days away!" said Alice.

"James said something about Sirius being 'dog-tired.' They kept laughing though, so I bet they were just too lazy."

"'Dog-tired'?" asked Lily. So the dog was Sirius… That left Potter and Peter. Lily had a strong feeling Peter was that small creature, which left Potter as the stag.

"Woah. Who is _that_?" asked Taylor when they were finally seated at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall.

Alice looked over to the far end of the Ravenclaw table where Taylor was pointing. "That's Zack Clearwater. Sixth year," she said. "Seriously, do you even go to this school? How do you not know who he is? All the girls swoon over him."

"You know I don't have time to drool over boys. But man, I'd drool over him any day. How have I not noticed him before?" mused Taylor.

"He just came at the beginning of this year," said Lily, who kept glaring at the Marauders on the far side of the table. "He's an exchange student from America."

"Why do you keep looking over there?" Alice asked Lily. "Do you finally have feelings for Jaaaaames?" Lily threw her unfinished bowl of cereal at Alice, gave a _hmfph_, and walked over to the Marauders.

"Ah, Lilypad. Have you finally come to give dearest Prongsie a chance?" asked Sirius.

James laughed but still looked hopeful. He looked up at Lily and found her glowering at him. _What did I do now?_ He thought to himself. She was wearing a dark blue ribbon on her head, while the rest of her hair fell past her shoulders; she had her hair open again. James suddenly felt hot, despite it being quite cool in the Great Hall. Lily's eyes were narrowed in suspicion.

"May I have a word with you four?" she asked menacingly.

"Er – right now?" asked Remus. He looked tired, had a few scratches on his face, but appeared otherwise unhurt from the previous night's antics. Lily noticed that the rest of them also had a few scratches on their faces and arms.

"After breakfast, then," said Lily, her eyes still narrow. She walked back to where she was sitting with Taylor and Alice.

"Looks like Prongs is in trouble," said Sirius.

"Hey, she said the four of us," replied James, who was still watching Lily's retreating figure with her dark hair swishing back and forth.

"Even me?" asked Peter excitedly.

Sirius shoved the back of Peter's head. "Yes, even you, Wormtail."

The four of them finished breakfast and got up to leave the Great Hall. James noticed that Lily had gotten up too. He felt breathless, like he had just flown ten laps around the Quidditch pitch.

When the five of them reached the empty Common Room, Lily rounded on them. "Where were you last night?"

"Lily, you know where I was," said Remus seriously.

"Yeah, and where is that?" Lily asked.

"The Shrieking Shack!"

"Oh, so I'm expected to assume that the werewolf I saw running around the grounds last night was someone else?" shot Lily.

Remus had the decency to look guilty. "I'm sorry, Lils," he said in a small voice. "I wouldn't hurt anyone, I swear!"

"And you three are _Animagi_!" she shrieked. It wasn't a question. It was an accusation – a very loud one.

The boys said nothing.

"Are you even registered?!"

"Of course not!" said Sirius, sounding offended at the accusation of following the law.

"_WHAT?!"_ Lily shrieked. "That's illegal! How could you even manage it?! I can't even do a bloody Patronus! You could get into SO much trouble!"

"Well, that's kind of why we haven't told anyone, Evans," said James, ruffling his hair.

"Shut up, Potter!"

"Did you say you can't do a Patronus? We can teach you," said Sirius.

"Guys! This is serious!" said Lily.

"They already know who I am, Lilytron. No need for introductions," said Sirius.

Lily stamped her foot. James couldn't help but notice how cute she looked doing it. "And Remus, you are a prefect! Dumbledore is doing you a _huge_ favor by keeping your secret, and you're taking advantage of it! Imagine his disappointment if someone got hurt! You'd be kicked out for sure!"

Remus looked down like a young boy being reprimanded by his angry mother. Peter looked close to tears while Sirius looked annoyed.

"Evans, you _can't_ tell anyone. Not even Taylor or Alice. Please!" said James.

"And why should I listen to _you_, Potter?" sneered Lily. "Just because you are Quidditch Captain doesn't mean you deserve special treatment! You're an arrogant toerag!"

James was slightly offended, but he didn't let it show on his face. "Fine, go ahead and snitch to Dumbledore!"

"Fine, I will!" said Lily, and she left the Common Room.

* * *

The rest of the day, Sirius and Lily glared at each other. She wouldn't even look at James or Remus; the latter looked guilty while the former was sulking moodily, thinking about what Lily had called him. Peter simply looked nervously at everyone, as if the entire school had found out their secret.

"Do you think she's told Dumbledore yet?" squeaked Peter in a terrified whisper.

"Who cares?" sniffed Sirius with superiority.

"She was right, though," said Remus. "I took advantage of Dumbledore's favor. All the other professors wanted me kicked out, even McGonagall. Maybe I should apologize."

"She called me an arrogant toerag," said James.

"She always calls you arrogant," said Sirius.

"Maybe she's right."

Sirius looked at his best friend. "Forget it, Prongs. You're not that arrogant."

"Actually he kind of is," said Remus, smirking. Sirius threw a nearby inkpot at him.

"Forget it," repeated Sirius. "Anyways, it's time for practice. Big match tomorrow! I'll go find Taylor. I'll see you at the pitch, Prongs!"

Sirius walked over to where Taylor and Lily were chatting about Zack Clearwater. "Taylor," he said, nodding at Taylor. "Snitch," he addressed Lily, who glared at him.

"Hey Sirius! Is it time for practice already?" asked Taylor, who hadn't noticed the glares or the name-calling.

Sirius nodded. "Let's go."

"I'll tell you more about Zack later," said Taylor to Lily, as she walked out of the Common Room with Sirius.

"Who's Zack?" asked Sirius once they were out of the portrait hole, looking sideways at Taylor and frowning a little.

"Oh, no one important," said Taylor with a wave of her hand. Sirius was silent the rest of the way to the pitch.

* * *

**A/N:** Gah, sorry it was so short :( But I really like chapter five, which I should be posting later today, so stay tuned! Please review, thanks! :D


	6. Chapter Five

**A/N:** Gah, sorry I posted this so late. I was having terrible writer's block writing chapter six, and I don't post a chapter unless I'm done with the next one. Also, I know Quidditch finals don't happen on the second to last day of school, but it does in this fan fic (Sorry!). But I actually really like this chapter, so here you go. Enjoy and review! :)

And again, these characters belong to the one and only J.K. Rowling. Jeez, how many times do I have to tell you?

* * *

Chapter Five

"You can all go ahead and thank me," said Remus as he walked into the fifth year boy's dormitory after completing his rounds with Lily. Sirius and James were sprawled lazily on their beds after a long day of practicing for the Quidditch final the following morning.

"Thank you for what?" asked Sirius, getting up.

"Lily no longer hates us," said Remus, shooting a glance at James, who looked interested.

"You mean she's okay with everything?" asked James.

"Yup!"

"What did you say to her?" asked Sirius.

"That's not important," replied Remus airily. James and Sirius looked at each other and shrugged.

"So she wants me again?" asked James happily.

"As much as she wanted you before, I guess," Remus muttered sarcastically.

* * *

James woke up early the following morning. He looked out the window the check the weather conditions. Dawn was just breaking, and there didn't seem to be a single cloud in the sky. _Perfect visibility_, he thought to himself.

This was James' first year as Quidditch Captain, and his desire to win the Cup was greater than it ever was before. Gryffindor had won the Cup every year since he joined the team in his second year, but winning as Captain would be a first for him. He imagined scoring incredibly difficult goals, holding the Cup as the victor, finally winning over the affections of Lily Evans…

"Oi, you ready for breakfast, Prongs?" asked Sirius. The rest of the boys had woken up. Frank had already gone down to breakfast, presumably with Alice.

"Let's go," said James, snapping out of his reverie.

As the boys walked down to the Great Hall for breakfast, they chatted animatedly about the match.

"Perfect conditions!" said Sirius happily. "No wind, no fog, and not a single cloud!"

"And one of Slytherin's Beaters was hurt during practice last week, and he hasn't recovered yet! We've got this match in the bag!" said James excitedly. He was a little nervous, but confident.

"Go Gryffindor!" squeaked Peter, pumping his chubby fist in the air.

As the boys entered the Great Hall, cheers erupted from the Gryffindors for James and Sirius, the star players. At the same time, hisses and boos came from the rest of the Hall. Gryffindor was undefeated this year, so even Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff wanted to see them lose.

"I think I'm going to be sick," said Peter.

"Well, it's a good thing you're not on the team, then," said Remus, laughing at him.

As the boys sat down, cheers erupted again and a few wolf whistles came from the other tables as well. Taylor and Lily had just entered the Great Hall. Taylor flashed a shining smile at the Ravenclaw table where Zack Clearwater was presumably sitting, flipped her long hair, and made her way to the Gryffindors.

"Are you ready, Davis?" asked Sirius.

"I hope you mean ready to win," replied Taylor. "Slytherin is going down!"

"You coming to the match, Evans?" asked James nonchalantly.

"Of course! I can't miss out on watching my best friend play."

"Right," said James, as he finished up his cereal.

"We should start heading over to the changing rooms. You guys done?" asked Taylor.

"You just got here! Aren't you going to eat?" asked Sirius, as he shoved an entire piece of toast into his mouth.

"I ate earlier, when the Hall was less noisy," she replied.

"Let's go," said James, getting up.

"Good luck!" called Lily, Remus, and Peter as their three friends left.

* * *

The match, as expected, was intense. Fouls were committed, blood was shed, and goals were scored. James flew with speed and precision. The Quaffle flew exactly where he wanted it to go, whether it was to a teammate or through a goal hoop. Slytherin's back-up Beater was no match for the Gryffindors, who zig-zagged through the maze of brooms, bats, and balls. James made spectacular goals, while on the other side of the pitch, Sirius made equally spectacular saves.

Gryffindor was up 70-30 when it happened. Taylor had been circling the field, searching for the Snitch, while the Slytherin Seeker kept a close watch on her. She spotted it glinting in the shadows at the Slytherin end of the field, and she shot toward it, the Slytherin Seeker hot on her trail. Just as she reached to grab it, however, Slytherin's back-up Beater wacked her hard with his bat. Lily and Remus gasped from the stands as Taylor flew off her broom, and crashed onto the field ten feet below.

Madam Hooch blew her whistle hard. "YOU HIT _BLUDGERS_, NOT _PLAYERS!_" she shrieked as the Gryffindor team raced to Taylor to see if she was okay. "Penalty shot for Gryffindor!"

"No need, Coach," said Taylor, getting up with difficulty. Sirius scrambled to help her. "I caught the Snitch!"

"WE WON!" shouted James.

"YEAH!" said Sirius, pumping his fist in the air and hugging Taylor hard.

"And the Cup goes to Gryffindor!" announced Madam Hooch. The rest of the Gryffindors poured out of the stands and onto the field. They hoisted not just James, but also Sirius and Taylor, into the air. James looked down into the crowd and saw Lily. For once she wasn't scowling at him. Instead, she was cheering and laughing as she looked up at him, Sirius, and Taylor. James couldn't remember ever feeling happier.

* * *

The Common Room that night was packed. James and Sirius had snuck down to the kitchens and had brought back cakes, tarts, pies, butterbeer, and firewhiskey.

Lily, Taylor, Sirius, and Remus were discussing the match in detail. James was raiding the food while Peter shouted "I can't believe we won!" to anyone who passed by.

"That was a great catch, Taylor! I'm telling you, from the stands, we couldn't even tell you had the Snitch!" said Remus.

"Thanks," said Taylor. "But did you see those saves by Sirius? They were incredible!"

Sirius turned slightly pink, but kept his composure. "My saves are always incredible, Taylor," he said, pretending to frown. Taylor shoved his shoulder playfully as they all laughed.

The party went on into the night. Most of the younger students eventually went off to bed, while most of the older students were still celebrating by dancing and making out on the various couches by the fire.

"This is the best treacle tart I've ever had!" said James as he shoved the seventh one that night into his mouth.

"You say that every time you have some," said Sirius, laughing at him.

"It's because I _love_ treacle tart!" said James, widening his eyes. "Have some, Footpad! They're sooooo good!" James tried to shove some at Sirius's face.

"No thanks, mate," Sirius laughed, shoving James off.

"More for me," James shrugged as he continued stuffing his face. Suddenly he stopped. "Is Evans here? My face is a mess! My face is a mess, Padfoot! Hide me!" James then attempted to hide behind Sirius, who was doubled up in laughter.

"I've never seen you this drunk, Prongs! Don't worry. Lily went up to her dormitory half an hour ago."

"And what about you and Taylor, hmmmm?" asked James, raising his eyebrows and winking.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing," said Sirius, who was suddenly serious.

* * *

Lily woke up early the next morning. She still hadn't packed her trunk. Every time she had attempted to do so, she thought of arriving home to her sister, Petunia, who always looked at Lily with disgust and contempt. This was not only because Lily was a witch, but also because Lily hated Vernon Dursley, Petunia's boring boyfriend. Lily's parents were often away at fancy parties thrown by the Prime Minister, as Mr. Evans was the assistant to his chief advisor. Petunia and Vernon were also out as well (_Thank heaven,_ though Lily) which meant Lily was often left alone.

For Lily, packing her trunk meant leaving the place she considered her real home. She knew her parents loved her very much and were very supportive of her magical education, but she couldn't help but feel distant from them. She was so obviously different. Lily sighed and got up to pack anyway. The train would be leaving soon.

Breakfast at the Great Hall was especially extravagant on the last day of the year. In addition to the usual toast, eggs, cereal, and bacon, the tables were covered in muffins of all shapes and sizes, pancakes shaped like wizards' hats and Hogwarts castle, and waffles that were stacked in precariously high towers.

"Good morning," said James happily as the four boys joined Lily, Taylor, Alice, and Frank.

"What are you up to?" asked Lily, her eyes narrowed in suspicion at the marauders, who were all smirking at each other.

"What ever do you mean, Lillian?" asked Sirius, blinking in feigned innocence.

"You very well know what I mean," said Lily, folding her arms.

"Seriously, Evans. Must you point fingers at us first thing in the morning?" asked James, as he drowned his pancake in syrup.

At that moment, the candles floating near the enchanted ceiling exploded into fireworks. The forks and spoons flew out of everyone but the marauders' hands and joined in the explosions above. Gnomes that were kept in a fenced area for Professor Grubbly-Plank's Care of Magical Creatures class filed into the Great Hall, chanting "_School's out! School's out!"_ Some of the younger students screamed at the sight of them and hopped onto their chairs.

James and Sirius high-fived each other while Taylor, Remus, and Peter roared with laughter.

Lily sighed. She would never admit it to anyone, but she was really going to miss this over summer break.

* * *

**A/N: **And there you have it. It ends kinda suddenly, but eh. Chapter six starts out with the beginning of year six. And don't worry, folks. Soon we'll be getting into more James/Lily moments, so stay tuned! Please send suggestions in your reviews if you want the story to go in a certain direction, or if you want to criticize me on my cheesiness sometimes. Whatever you want to say, say it! Thanks :)


	7. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

A/N: Like I mentioned in the Intro, I'm going to try to finish year six up quickly so that I can get to year seven. I'm probably going to be cramming it all into like 2 chapters, so bear with me if I skip ahead a few months at a time.

Lily woke up in her own bedroom for the final time that summer. It was finally the first of September, which meant that by nightfall, she would be feasting in the Great Hall with Taylor and Alice, whom she hadn't seen all break. Taylor had gone to Brazil with her parents while Alice had gone to Paris with Frank Longbottom and his family. Lily had kept in touch with Remus through owl post and the two had gone to Diagon Alley together to purchase their school supplies. Lily had finally bought her own owl – a light brown tawny – and named it Ellie.

"Lillian! Are you ready? It's 9:30, we should get going!" shouted her mother from above.

"Coming, Mum!" replied Lily. With a glance around the room to make sure she wasn't missing anything, she closed her trunk and ushered Ellie into her cage. Lily made her way down and put her trunk with Ellie's cage on top of it next to the door. "Where's Dad?"

"He'll be down in a minute. Sorry Petunia couldn't see you off. She and Vernon left early to look at flower arrangements for the wedding." Vernon had proposed to Petunia earlier that summer during another one of Mr. Evans' boring government parties. Lily shuddered at the memory. _I hope no one proposes to me in such a dull way_, she had thought to herself.

Lily's father finally came down. "Let's go, pumpkin. Everything all set?"

Once the train started moving, Lily made her way to the Prefects' compartment. "You're late," said the new Head Boy, a menacing Slytherin seventh year.

"Sorry," Lily mumbled, as she sat next to Remus, who had gotten there before her. Both exchanged significant looks; a Slytherin Head Boy didn't bode well for the two Gryffindor prefects.

Once the meeting was over, Remus and Lily headed to the rest of the compartments to find their friends. Both were talking heatedly about the new Head Boy. "He didn't even give us the same shift for carriage duty!" Lily exclaimed furiously.

"He talked to us like we were all a bunch of idiots! I can't wait 'til – Oh! Here's James and Peter's compartment. I wonder where Sirius is..."

"Is Taylor in there?" asked Lily.

"Nope. Well, I'll see you later, Lils," said Remus as he walked into the compartment. Lily waved and continued on. If she could only find Alice or Taylor somewhere…

"Lily?"

Lily froze. She hadn't spoken to that voice in months. It sent a wave of remorse, guilt, anger, and sadness through her body. She sighed and turned around. A thin, pale boy with long greasy hair was looking at her with a pleading expression. His robes were dirty, and he had a generally uncared-for appearance.

"Severus. What do you want?" Lily asked quietly.

"Lily, please. We haven't talked in months. I miss you. You are my only friend."

"I _was_ your only friend. You should have thought of that before you insulted me in front of everyone."

"I'm sorry! Really! It won't happen again, please!" Severus pled.

"What's going on here?" asked a new voice from behind Lily. She turned around and saw Sirius Black staring at Severus with a look of pure loathing.

"Ugh, Sirius, just go away," said Lily, who was getting annoyed by all the unwanted company.

Sirius ignored her. "Why don't you go back to your slimy little compartment, Snivellus, before I curse your greasy hair with flowery shampoo?" Lily stifled a laugh.

"I see that you've started hanging out with _those_ idiots, Lily. All I can say is I'm disappointed in you," said Severus. Lily looked at him incredulously. Then she did something she had never done before – she slapped Severus Snape _hard_, turned around and continued to look for Taylor's compartment.

Sirius followed her, laughing hysterically. "That was _golden_, Lils!" he exclaimed, patting her back.

"Thanks," said Lily, with a small smile. But she didn't think it was golden. She already felt guilty for hurting Severus. "Do you know where Taylor is?" she asked, changing the topic.

Sirius suddenly stopped laughing. "She's in the very last compartment," he said with a scowl.

"Thanks. Peter, Remus, and Potter are in Compartment C," replied Lily.

"Right," said Sirius, who was suddenly in a bad mood. He turned around and walked over to his friends' compartment near the front of the train while Lily made her way in the opposite direction.

When Lily walked into her friend's compartment, what she saw surprised her. Taylor was indeed in there, and so was Alice. Brazil had tanned Taylor's skin, and she now looked more beautiful than ever. Her long blonde hair seemed darker too. Alice had grown out her hair and was sporting a French beret. What surprised Lily, though, was that both of them were talking animatedly to _Zack Clearwater_. It wasn't that Zack was a bad guy – in fact, he was a prefect, which in Lily's eyes, made him a great catch. Lily was surprised because Taylor had never shown interest in any Hogwarts boy before.

"_LILY!"_ shrieked Taylor as her friend walked in. "It's so good to see you! I've missed you! I have _so_ much to tell you," she gushed as she ambushed Lily in a bear-hug.

"_Bonjour_, Lily! I hope your summer was _magnifique_!" said Alice excitedly, as she too hugged Lily.

"Oh, guys, I've missed you so much!" exclaimed Lily. "Er – hello, Zack," she added awkwardly.

"Hey, Lily," he said. "Look, I'll see you guys later. I'm going to head back to my compartment."

"See you at dinner?" Taylor asked him, which confused Lily a little.

"Of course," said Zack, as he reached down to kiss Taylor on the mouth before leaving.

Lily widened her eyes and stifled a gasp. When he had left, she exclaimed, "Taylor! You _do_ have so much to tell me!"

"We met in Brazil! How crazy is that?! And he recognized me as 'that hot Gryffindor Seeker'!" Taylor said excitedly. "It was fate!"

"That is pretty crazy," Lily admitted. She suddenly remembered Sirius' scowl at her mention of Taylor's name, and something clicked. She couldn't believe it, but she actually felt sorry for Black.

"But Lily, tell us, how was your summer?" asked Alice.

"Pretty boring, actually. My parents went to a bunch of boring parties with the Prime Minister… oh, and Petunia's boring boyfriend, Vernon, proposed to her in the most boring way possible," said Lily, rolling her eyes. Taylor and Alice laughed. "And I had a run-in with Severus just now," Lily finished quickly, avoiding their eyes.

"_What?!_"

Lily sighed and recounted what had happened after she had left the prefects' carriage.

"He's horrid," said Alice, shuddering.

"Wait Lils, did you say Sirius was coming from _our_ carriage? He wasn't in here with us," said Taylor.

"Oh," said Lily. "I guess he must not have come in then."

Taylor frowned as Alice began recounting her trip to Paris with Frank and his family.

The Great Hall that night was warm, happy, and was filled with the chatter of students returning after an eventful summer vacation. Lily, Remus, and the other Gryffindor prefects had a difficult time managing the new first years, which were an especially wild bunch. They kept wandering over to other House tables to steal food or make jokes.

"Bless them," said Sirius, watching them fondly. James high-fived one who scurried past them with a tray of pies he had stolen from the Hufflepuffs.

Lily beelined toward the first year, and as she passed James, Sirius, and Peter, James addressed her like a Prime Minister would address an old friend after many years. "Evans! Great to see you, you look good! How was your summer?"

"Shut up, Potter!" she said as she passed them. James and Sirius sniggered into their plates while Peter giggled nervously. He still worried that Lily would tell someone about the Animagi secret.

Sixth year was not going as well for Lily as she had hoped. The schoolwork, as expected, was tougher than ever. The Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Professor Abbott , was the kind of man who had too much faith in his students. (**A/N:** This was _before_ Voldemort had come to Dumbledore to ask for a job as DADA Professor, so this was not Professor Abbott's first year teaching the class). He believed that they were ready to perform Patronus Charms, and although the sixth years were quite excited, no one but (to Lily's immense annoyance) James Potter and Sirius Black could manage them. She realized that this was because they were already skilled Animagi, an ability which no doubt helped them produce the animals they transformed into. The potions that Professor Slughorn assigned them were getting more complicated as they were now N.E.W.T students, and Professor McGonagall was now teaching them Self-Transfiguration. Although Lily was still at the top of the class, she had to work much harder at it.

In addition to stress with schoolwork, Lily couldn't help but feel abandoned by Taylor, who now spent every waking moment with Zack Clearwater. However, even Lily wasn't as annoyed by this as Sirius was, though he never showed it to anyone except his three best friends. To add to Lily's problems, passing Severus Snape in hallways or in the Great Hall was more awkward than ever, and every time they did cross paths, Lily proceeded to fret over the fact that she slapped him, drown in guilt, and was rendered unable to focus in the following class.

That was why one Saturday morning in late October, when Lily, who was on her way to the library, spotted Severus looking quite alone, and approached him. "Look," she began. She couldn't help but feel pitiful towards the hopeful expression that was now on her old friend's face. "I'm sorry for slapping you. And I forgive you for calling me a Mudblood. You were only saying the truth."

"It wasn't the truth," said Severus, who couldn't believe his luck. "And you –"

"I'm not done," said Lily, interrupting him.

"What do you mean?"

"We still can't be friends, Severus."

Severus looked crestfallen. "But you forgave me! You –"

Lily interrupted him again. "I already told you before. I don't like who you hang around with. They're all in league with You-Know-Who."

"So you still hate me," said Severus flatly.

"No. That's the problem, Severus. I _can't_ hate you," Lily said in a very small voice. "But I can't be friends with you either."

"What exactly are you trying to say?" asked Severus, who despite the situation, felt thrilled when Lily admitted she couldn't hate him.

"We never met," she said with a sense of finality, and turned around to leave.

Severus looked at her incredulously. "So that's it, then? Our friendship meant nothing to you?" Severus demanded of her.

Lily turned back to face him. "It _did_ mean something. But pretending it never happened is a hell of a lot easier than realizing that we were best friends once but drifted apart!" Lily was near tears now.

"Lily, I'm sorry," said Severus in a small voice.

"Good bye, Severus."


End file.
